These loyal bundles of fluff will keep you and your family entertained for hours. Goldendoodles are clever, active, loving, and have the “Doodle” smile perfectly practiced for those moments when they’ve been a little naughty. How big are they as adult dogs though?
The size of the F1b Goldendoodle can differ greatly. The main factors are the size of the parents but even then, you will come across outliers. Standard F1bs should yield litters that will grow to over 21”. If a Medium Goldendoodle range between 16” & 20”. The Mini will be under 15”.
The beauty of crossbreeds is that you can select the best of either breed in the hope that the litter will display the most desirable traits, like size, temperament, and coat type.
Table of Contents
What is an F1 Goldendoodle?
The term F1 relates to the generation of the breeding. An F1 is a straightforward 50/50 mix of a purebred Poodle and a purebred Golden Retriever. If you breed two F1’s you will produce a litter of F2’s and so on. This is often referred to as multigenerational breeding.
Given that the F1 is a 50/50 mix, sizing and coat type can be unpredictable as the resulting pup can take more or less of either parent breed.
As Goldendoodles are amongst the most popular of cross breeds, the F1 is becoming increasingly rare due to the multi-generational breeding used to produce more predictable litters.
What is an F1b Goldendoodle?
F1b is the process of breeding an F1 (50% Poodle and 50% Golden Retriever) with a purebred Poodle (“b” relates to backcrossed or back breed).
Here comes the math!
F1 is 50/50 even mix. F1b litters will take half of the F1 genes and half of the purebred Poodle’s genes.
Pup will take half the genes of the F1 Goldendoodle (50% GR + 50% P) and half the genes of the Poodle (100% P)
This translates to 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever.
The act of crossing back to the Poodle breed is a popular method of getting a more “saleable” litter as this mix will produce a litter with more predictable sizes and coat types that are more relative to the Poodle side.
What is an F1b Reverse Goldendoodle?
F1b Reverse is the process of breeding an F1 (50% Poodle and 50% Golden Retriever) with a purebred Golden Retriever. The “b Reverse” refers to the backcrossing or back breeding. The usual method of backcrossing is done with the Poodle, hence the “Reverse” as the Golden Retriever is used instead.
Pup will take half the genes of the (50% GR + 50% P) and half the genes of the (100% GR)
This translates to 75% Golden Retriever and 25% Poodle.
The process of reverse breeding is a relatively new phenomenon, as the original point of the poodle cross was to get the best of both worlds but with a more predictable size (due to the Poodle sizing and less risk of allergy triggers.
F1b Goldendoodle Size Guide
F1b Goldendoodles mainly come in three sizes: Mini, Medium and Standard.
When you back cross the F1 with a Poodle, a more predictable size can be obtained, hence the three sizes of this breed. As Poodles come in three sizes, they can be physically matched to the F1 Goldendoodle to obtain the desired mix and size.
Through careful multigenerational breeding, an even smaller size in the F1b Goldendoodle is emerging. This is the Teacup, but these are very rare and tend to be VERY expensive due to the time and patience needed to slowly back cross down in size through several years of dedicated breeding. Without extremely careful consideration the Teacup Goldendoodle can end up with a plethora of problems.
Teacup F1b Goldendoodles have also been produced using artificial insemination to speed up the natural de-sizing process to produce a smaller dog in a shorter time span but this is a fairly rare and also questionable way to breed these types of litters. Most breeders prefer the “natural” way!
Here is a rough size guide to show how big and heavy an F1b will be, depending on the size of Poodle it is back bred to.
| Mini | Medium | Standard | |||
| Height | Under 15” | Height | 16” – 20” | Height | Over 21” |
| Weight | Under 30lbs | Weight | 30lbs – 40lbs | Weight | Over 40lbs |
Can Goldendoodle Size Guides Predict Adult Sizes Accurately?
In a word – No. Sorry about that! There is no actual guarantee of any particular size when crossing two different breeds and any breeder that says they can 100% guarantee the size of the litter before it is born is kidding themselves!
Having said that, there is slightly more predictability when crossing an F1 with a Poodle to produce an F1b as the litter will be 75% Poodle. This mix tends to increase the chances of the pup taking more of the Poodle parent breed characteristics than the Golden Retriever.
If you have an F1b with a parent being the Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle, or Standard Poodle, the size will usually correlate more reliably to the traditional Poodle sizing.
F1b Reverse will more likely follow the Golden Retriever type of size and coat due to being 75% Golden Retriever. This will mean a thicker-set dog with shorter legs and a wider muzzle than the normal F1b. They will also tend to have a looser coat and more of a shedding type of coat.
F1b Reverse Goldendoodles can also be flat coated. You can read more in our Flat Goldendoodle Guide.
Which Parent Breed do F1b Goldendoodles Take After the Most?
F1b will mostly follow the Poodle parent breed type/size/coat type. They will usually have tighter curls, long slender legs, a deep chest, and the Poodle’s single coat. This will mean that the F1b will be more likely to be low to non-shedding and hypoallergenic.
You will be able to more reliably predict the sizing, by finding Poodle size charts, for the relevant size, to predict the adult size of your F1b Goldendoodle as the mix is 75% Poodle so you have more chance of predicting their size correctly.
Have a look at our wonderfully written article on Poodle sizes to estimate the F1b Goldendoodle size:
If you are looking into getting an F1b Reverse Goldendoodle (F1 Goldendoodle crossed back to the Golden Retriever) then they will more likely follow the Golden Retriever side as they will be 75% Golden Retriever.
The F1b (Reverse) will most likely have the soft cuddle-worthy flowing hair of the Golden Retriever. They may be stockier, thicker set, and slightly shorter than the traditional F1b as they will have less tendency to inherit the gloriously long slender Poodle legs. They may still me the Mini or Standard size, considering the F1b Poodle parentage.
Goldendoodle Growth Stages
The most popular F1b Goldendoodle size is the medium. This size tends to be desired more due to it being not too big that it eats you out of house and home, but big enough to be a nicely sized robust family dog.
It is important to note:
Miniature F1b Goldendoodles (bred with the Toy Poodle) reach HALF their adult weight at around 4 months old.
Medium F1b Goldendoodles (bred with a Miniature or small Standard Poodle) generally reach HALF their adult weight at around 6 months old.
Standard F1b Goldendoodles (bred with a Standard or Royal Poodle) tend to reach HALF their adult weights by around 9 months old.
The following growth stages have been written with the medium sized F1b Goldendoodle in mind.
Growth of the F1b Goldendoodle can be split into five stages:
- Young Puppy
- Older Puppy
- Young Adult
- Mature Adult
- Senior
Young Puppy
Young puppy stage (8 to 16 weeks) will see your pup through arguably the most important stage in their life. They learn manners, play, discipline, sounds, sights and smells. Their weight will be around 4lbs-9lbs. Make the most of being able to pick them up right now as they soon grow!
Older Puppy
Older puppy stage (16 weeks to under a year). F1b Goldendoodles will weigh in between 8lbs at 16 weeks to 25lbs up to a year old. This time in a F1b Goldendoodle’s life is often referred to as the troublesome teenage years. At 10 months to a year old, they will have reached their maximum height of around 16”-20” tall, but not their peak weight. They will be rather skinny looking dogs who seem to have not grown into their legs yet!
Young Adult
Young adult F1b Goldendoodles (12 to 18 months old). They will weigh anything in between 25lbs to 30lbs and start to fill out around the shoulders and chest. They will have put on more muscle and tone to their physique. Towards 16 to 18 months your F1b Goldendoodle will be strong but will be calming down. As long as you have continuously re-enforced their basic training up to this stage, the lessons will be learned for life.
Older Adult
Older adults (over 18 months old). They will have reached their peak weight and height at around 30lbs to 40lbs in weight and stand around 16”-20” tall. Up to 2 years old and beyond, the F1b Goldendoodle will have reached their sexual maturity and will be very muscular strong dogs. Finally! They will have stopped growing!
Mature Adult
Mature adult F1b Goldendoodles should be monitored for obesity. Regular vet checks and weigh-ins will ensure their weight is monitored appropriately.
Senior
Senior aged F1b Goldendoodles need comfort, warmth and rest. They will have their moments of madness, but mostly serenity and peace will be their heaven! Again, obesity will need to be watched to protect their joints from pain. Also, you will need to monitor their oral health and regularly check for lumps on their bodies.
There you have it. A complete guide to the sizing of the F1b Goldendoodle.